How do I install the Consult Outside Expert skill?

Run npx skillmds@latest add basecamp/consult-outside-expert in your terminal (requires Node.js), paste this page's agent-chat prompt into Claude, Cursor, or any MCP-connected agent, or download the SKILL.md file and copy it into your agent's skills directory.

Is Consult Outside Expert safe to use?

This skill has not completed SkillMD's automated safety review yet. SkillMD never runs a skill's scripts for you; review the SKILL.md before installing.

Which AI agents work with Consult Outside Expert?

This skill is tagged as working with Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex. SKILL.md is an open format, so most agents that read a skills directory can load it too.

Is Consult Outside Expert free to use?

Yes. Installing skills from SkillMD is free, and the skill stays under its author's original license.

Who published Consult Outside Expert?

basecamp (@basecamp) published this skill. Their other Agent Skills are listed on their SkillMD profile.

Consult Outside Expert by basecamp — Agent Skill

Name: Consult Outside Expert
Author: basecamp

Consult Outside Expert

Explicitly launch an independent outside-expert consultation via Codex MCP. Use only when the user directly asks to run this workflow or asks another expert/agent for an independent second opinion. Do not infer it from ordinary review, feedback, validation, planning, or discussion about the skill itself.

basecamp b810a4d 2 files · 32.8 KB Updated Sep 17, 2026

File contents

consult-outside-expert

Activation gate

This is a heavyweight, explicit-opt-in workflow. Apply this gate before opening any reference, creating a review log, or contacting another agent.

Activate only when the current user request directly asks to run this consultation, or uses the skill's canonical host invocation: $consult-outside-expert in Codex, /dev:consult-outside-expert from this Claude Code plugin, or /consult-outside-expert when installed as a standalone Claude Code skill. An imperative request to ask an independent outside expert or agent for a second opinion also qualifies.

Do not activate when:

The user merely names, quotes, discusses, audits, or configures this skill.
The user asks the current agent for ordinary review, feedback, validation, planning, or an opinion without explicitly requesting another independent reviewer.
A message is only a status update or follow-up from a completed consultation and does not explicitly request another review round.
ralph-lisa-loop is active. That workflow owns its external-review channel; do not nest this skill unless the user explicitly asks for a separate consultation as well.

An already-running consultation is exempt. If review-log.md or review-session.md exists for the current consultation, it was already explicitly started, so continue it when the user supplies a requested mediator decision or asks to resume. A reply such as "Option A" after a decision-point prompt applies that decision and continues the existing session; the explicit-opt-in requirement governs initial activation, not continuation.

If the gate fails, answer normally and stop. Do not open the guide, spawn an expert, or create consultation artifacts.

Protocol

Open @references/guide.md and follow it. Do not proceed without it.

When the activation gate passes, consult an outside expert to collaboratively refine work through iterative back-and-forth. It supports:

Fresh perspective on your work
Stress-testing from a different angle
Steelmanning of ideas
Progressive convergence on optimal outcomes

The guide contains:

The consultation loop and mediator role
Round templates and expert prompts
Convergence gates and quality criteria
Eval checks and failure modes
Working log templates (manual + MCP modes)

---name: consult-outside-expertdescription: Explicitly launch an independent outside-expert consultation via Codex MCP. Use only when the user directly asks to run this workflow or asks another expert/agent for an independent second opinion. Do not infer it from ordinary review, feedback, validation, planning, or discussion about the skill itself.---# consult-outside-expert## Activation gateThis is a heavyweight, explicit-opt-in workflow. Apply this gate before opening anyreference, creating a review log, or contacting another agent.Activate only when the current user request directly asks to run this consultation, oruses the skill's canonical host invocation: `$consult-outside-expert` in Codex,`/dev:consult-outside-expert` from this Claude Code plugin, or`/consult-outside-expert` when installed as a standalone Claude Code skill. Animperative request to ask an independent outside expert or agent for a second opinionalso qualifies.Do **not** activate when:- The user merely names, quotes, discusses, audits, or configures this skill.- The user asks the current agent for ordinary review, feedback, validation, planning, or an opinion without explicitly requesting another independent reviewer.- A message is only a status update or follow-up from a completed consultation and does not explicitly request another review round.- `ralph-lisa-loop` is active. That workflow owns its external-review channel; do not nest this skill unless the user explicitly asks for a separate consultation as well.An already-running consultation is exempt. If `review-log.md` or `review-session.md`exists for the current consultation, it was already explicitly started, so continue itwhen the user supplies a requested mediator decision or asks to resume. A reply such as"Option A" after a decision-point prompt applies that decision and continues the existingsession; the explicit-opt-in requirement governs initial activation, not continuation.If the gate fails, answer normally and stop. Do not open the guide, spawn an expert, orcreate consultation artifacts.## ProtocolOpen `@references/guide.md` and follow it. Do not proceed without it.When the activation gate passes, consult an outside expert to collaboratively refinework through iterative back-and-forth. It supports:- Fresh perspective on your work- Stress-testing from a different angle- Steelmanning of ideas- Progressive convergence on optimal outcomesThe guide contains:- The consultation loop and mediator role- Round templates and expert prompts- Convergence gates and quality criteria- Eval checks and failure modes- Working log templates (manual + MCP modes)

Frequently asked questions